I always like to share the little things that catch my fancy during the week and when my gray ticking-striped quilt arrived …I just had to share.

I was getting ready to do a load of laundry (always wash new linens and bedding before using to remove chemical residue from the dyeing process) and admired how the Draper Stripe pillow shams and sheets from Dwell Studio look with the ticking-striped cotton coverlet from West Elm.

Perhaps my penchant for stripes is bordering on some kind of design OCD, but the contrast of my striped bedding with my broad-striped, silk shantung covered screen makes me happy. It might seem counter-intuitive to design with a “more is more” attitude in such a small space, but you go with your gut. Stop me if I buy another striped rug!!

After

I’m a serial small-space nester and with each painful move, I’ve come to rely on a few things. Whenever possible go to your new location a few days before and have measurements of your big furniture pieces (and TV’s and computers) on hand as well as a roll of  painter’s tape.

Before

This is really helpful when you are downsizing to a smaller space like I recently did and are trying to figure out which pieces might have to be put into storage or given away.

After

Before

I used blue painter’s tape because it was easy to see taped-off furniture zones on the wooden parquet floor. Was the TV armoire and computer close enough to electrical outlets or too close to windows or heaters? It will bring you comfort to know these answers before the movers come.

Once moving day arrived, the movers knew exactly where to place the large anchor pieces without too much guidance from frazzled me.

Hope this helps with your next move! Breathe!

It’s time to celebrate! The very last shot of the Living in a Nutshell book was snapped on March 23, 2011 at approximately 4:34pm! No champagne was popped since our photographer is happily expecting a little one, but we all cheered for joy!

I wanted to give you a sneak peek at a little idea that made a big difference on a second-hand dresser I bought for my niece’s bedroom. I loved the old-fashioned shape of the furniture piece but it needed to reflect more of a fun, less precious attitude.

I discovered this Australian based artist on etsy.com who creates the best design fabric decals for walls and furniture. I used her series of reusable doll clothes and displayed the garments on a make-believe clothing line. Miniature clothespins, found at my local craft store, were attached to the dresser with my favorite 3M repositionable strips.

Since kids grow up so fast and their tastes change like the wind, I wanted to make sure and keep the décor flexible and changeable.

Here is a sneak peek at some of the early décor prep I am doing on my little niece’s bedroom. I wanted to give the walls the look of faded wallpaper but was working on a slim budget.

I fell in love with this Moorish trellis stencil and decided it would look perfect in a gray taupe color. To make the bedroom feel cozy and serene, the gray taupe provides a subtle contrast to the lavender base coat on the walls.

I am not going to lie. Just stenciling two large walls took me three days. It helps to order two stencils so there is always a clean one waiting in the wings. Once I got the rhythm of the stenciling down, the second wall went much quicker. But looking at the finished walls in the room made it all worth it.

If you are thinking of stenciling a wall in your home, make sure your base coat is a matte finish like an eggshell or satin paint. I was working on a semi-gloss basecoat and the stenciling didn’t adhere as well—a bit too slippery of a surface to paint on.

Stay tuned for more petite posh design ideas coming soon!